Liquid cooler



Dec. 2, 1930. A. CONLEY 1,783,641

LIQUID COOLER Filed Jan. 25, 1929 INVENIOR.

A TTORNEYS Patented Dec. 2, 1930 FICE ANNIE CONLEY, EAU' CLAIRE,WISCONSIN LIQUID oooLER Application filed January 23, 1929. Serial No.334,419.

My invention relates to improvements in coolers. V

The object of my invention is to provide a cooler for fluids wherein aconstant change '5 of coolant may be maintainedwithout danger ofoverflow which will dilute the material to be cooled. r

i More particularly stated, it is the object of my invention to providea cooler of the floating tray type, wherein the liquid, after passing ina thin stream over the Cooling surface of a floating tray, may bedischarged automatically from the tray by means of a drain, thestructure of the coolerpan and its outlet being such that overflowingcoolant is positively diverted from the stream of fluid to be cooled.

In the drawings V Figure 1 is an isometric view of my device with aportion of the pan and tray broken away to show the essential featuresof my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through a portion of my complete device.

I Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughoutthe several views.

The cooler including my invention is composed of two major elements,apan 10 and a tray 11, the pan being formed in any acceptable shape toprovide a space 12 for coolant, which in the dairy industry will usuallybe cold water. At spaced points around the eriphery of the pan 10, andat a convenient height I provide supports 13 to receive the tray 11 andsupport it when the device is not in operation, or, in other words, whenthe coolant is not present in the pan.

In the usual operation of my device cooling water or other coolant maybe introduced. to the pan through a spout 1 1, and this coolant willusually be introduced in the form of a steady stream to maintain aconstant temperature in the coolant in the pan. It is thereforenecessary to draw off a similar amount of coolant through some drain,which will prevent an overflow of coolant from the pan into the tray 11.It is the overflow device and provision for the drainage of the tray 11which comprises the essence of my invention, and it is the problem ofdrainage of the floating tray in conjunction with the disposal of excesscoolant, which comprises the problem that it is the purpose of myinvention to meet.

Obviously it is in the dairy industry and in other industries wherecooling processes for fluids are necessary and where dilution of thefluids to be cooled must be studiously avoided that my invention is ofvalue.

In my device I have provided a series of baflles 15, which extendpartially orsubstanti ally across the width of my tray alternately,first from one side and then from the other, to form a tortuous path forthe passage of a trickle or fine stream of fluid to be' cooled to theend that the fluid will pass over an extended length of cooled surfacebefore reaching a drain 16 at the other end of the tray. The drain 16may comprise a short nipple extending downwardly from the bottom of thetray, as shown at 17 The drainage of fluid from the nipple 17 must beprotected completely from the flow of coolant in and through the pan 10,and means flexible and yet positive for the disposition of the cooledfluid from the tray comprise the elements making up my invention.

I have set off a portion 18 of the bottom of the pan 10 and have walledthis off with an annular rim or wall 19, so as to set off a chamber or areceptacle wherein coolant from the an ma overflow and a )an drain 20 is1 "provided to carryolf overflow coolant and dispose of it in any mannerdesired.

Extending from a point without the pan through the floor of the pan intothe chamber surrounded by the wall 19, 1 have provided. a conduit 21,which may extend upwardly this chamber sufliciently to reach the nipple17 when the tray is positioned in the pan and supported either by thecoolant in the pan as a floating object or supported by the angularsupports 13 heretofore referred to. 7 It will be obvious from thedescription of the operation of my device as hereinafterset forth, thatthe conduit 21 may be introduced through a wall of pan and through therim 19 to accomplish the same result, but I prefer to extend the conduitthrough the floor or bottom of the pan so that only one fluid tightconnection need be provided between the conduit and such portions of thepan as are required to hold coolant.

In operation my device is adapted to receive fluid at the one end of thetray, and by reason of the bafl'les this fluid will be conducted backand forth across the pan to a point where it is discharged through thedrain 16 and nipple 17 into the conduit 21. From this conduit it may bepassed to any desired container. Throughout the passage of the fluidacross the bottom of the tray in the manner indicated, the effect ofcoolant upon the bottom of the tray is secured by means of any fluid orliquid coolant introduced into the pan through the spout 1% and the panwill float upon the coolant to a height governed by the height of thecoolant as it overflows the rim of the wall 19, and is dischargedthrough the drain pipe 20.

The advantage of my device will be seen from this explanation, for nomatter how rapidly the coolant is supplied through the spout 14, theunrestricted overflow over the wall 19 can never reach the open joint between the nipple 17 and the conduit 21, and dilution of the cooled fluidis impossible.

I claim:

1. A pan for coolant provided with an annular rim upstanding from itsbottom, a conduit extending from without the pan to a point within theenclosure of the rim, a drain for the portion of the pan enclosed by therim, and a tray to float on the coolant in the pan and provided with adrain comprising a nipple receivable in the conduit.

2. A. cooler including a pan for coolant provided with an overflowcompartment, a drain for said compartment, an upstanding conduit in saidcompartment opening into a space outside the pan, and a tray adapted tofloat on the coolant in the pan and provided with a drain. pipe looselyreceivable into the conduit.

3. A cooler comprising a pan for liquid coolant, a tray provided withbaffles extended upwardly at spaced points along the bottom of the panand describing a tortuous path for liquid to be cooled, a nipplecomprising a drain for the tray, a partition for setting off a. portionof the pan from the coolant therein, a drain for said portion oi thepan, and a conduit extending from without the pan to a point adjacentthe. top of the partition and within its confines to receive the nippleof the tray and conduct fluid therefrom undiluted by coolant.

4. A. cooler including a pan, an overflow compartment for the panprovided with a drain, a tray adapted to float upon coolant in the pan,a conduit extending from without the pan through the overflowcompartment, and an outlet for the tray for delivering the contents ofthe tray into the conduit, said conduit and said outlet being spacedfrom the path of coolant overflowing into the outlet compartment.

5. A cooler including a pan, an overflow compartment for the panprovided with a drain, a tray adapted to float upon coolant in the pan,a conduit extending from without the pan through the overflowcompartment, an outlet for the tray for delivering the contents of thetray into the conduit, said conduit and said outlet being spaced fromthe path of coolant overflowing into the outlet compartment, a spout fordirecting coolant into the pan along a path separated from the tray, andsupports to maintain the tray in a level position when the pan isemptied of coolant.

6. A pan for coolant provided with an annular rim upstanding from itsbottom, a conduit extending from without the pan to a point within theenclosure of the rim and spaced from the wall thereof, and a trayadapted to float upon coolant in the pan and provided with a nipplereceivable in the conduit to discharge the contents of the tray into theconduit.

7. A cooler including a pan for coolant provided with an overflowcompartment and spaced supports substantially level with the top marginof the overflow compartment, a drain for said compartment, an upstandingconduit in said compartment opening into a space outside the pan, and atray upon said supports adapted to float on the coolant in the pan whenthe depth of coolant attains a height greater than the supports, saidtray being provided with a drain pipe loosely receivable into theconduit.

ANNIE CONLEY.

